82 – Maria Westerbos – Plastic Soup Foundation

We know plastic waste is a massive problem – but do we know how plastic is affecting our health? Catherine Weetman talks to Maria Westerbos about the groundbreaking work of the Plastic Soup Foundation.Many of us are becoming increasingly aware of the amount of plastic in our lives – whether it is clothing and household textiles made from synthetic fibres like polyester, acrylic, lycra and so on, or the anti-crease finishes, flame retardants and other additives in those fibres. And of course, there’s plastic packaging, the outer cases of phones and laptops, and much, much more. Plastic has many useful properties: it can be moulded into complex shapes, it’s light weight, flexible, durable and so on.But now, we’re realizing there are downsides to all this – what happens when plastic is discarded, and ends up causing pollution and harm to other living species – and also, how plastic, and the chemicals it contains, is affecting our health. We know plastic particles and microfibres are now found all around the world, and are contaminating our water and food – but what about our contact with plastics in our daily lives… they are in lots of personal care products, we wear them next to our skin, we eat food that’s been wrapped in plastic.Maria Westerbos explains why we need to understand much more about the impact of plastics on our health, and how some of the organisations that exist to protect our health are – shamefully – looking the other way.Maria is an expert in mass communication, and she’s used her background as a science journalist, her 25 years experience working in TV and her intuition to inspire social change.In 2011 she set up Plastic Soup Foundation. With its first campaign, Beat the Microbead, the Foundation has succeeded in changing both the perceptions and use of microplastics by international businesses, local and national governments, consumers and NGOs.We hear how Maria found the sweet-spot to engage people with making changes to their daily lives, including the Beat the Microbead app to help you check what’s behind the product label. Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer.  Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).Stay in touch for free insights and updates... Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention. You can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for "circular economy" in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox... Don’t forget, you can use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus,